To my disappointment, I received a declination letter from both the USNA and the USMA. I was shocked and heartbroken to know that I missed such a special opportunity. If I couldn’t be selected to a Summer Seminar, how could I ever be selected to be a cadet/midshipman at the academy? For the next week, I was devastated, especially since I discovered that one of my friends got accepted into the program. It was both embarrassing and discouraging for me at the time, but I blocked out my negative thoughts and decided to keep working on my studies and athletics. If I couldn’t get into the seminar, I would have to work harder in other areas. My ACT scores were not as great as I’d like them to be, so I started a program to help me study every day, and prepare myself for future tests. As summer came, I signed up for some of the most difficult classes a senior could take. In addition, I contacted my local Field Force Representative, and told him about my